Arts

Composer Hector Berlioz thought big and fought big, as becomes apparent in this letter he wrote to his sister on November 2, 1840: I've just put on a festival at the Paris Opéra. I conducted 450 instrumentalists and singers in selections from my Requiem.... A couple of weeks earlier there...

At the beginning of November 1853, Franz Liszt wrote from Weimar to violinist Joseph Joachim in Hanover about musical discoveries he had made during a recent visit to Paris: As for news from Paris, I have none except for the vigorous rehearsing of Meyerbeer’s new opera L’Étoile du Nord at...

A group of older bicyclists stay fit and enjoy the outdoors by weekly riding one of the many bike trails in the greater Milwaukee area. And we talk to a fitness specialist who works to help seniors live a healthy and active lifestyle.

Halloween has its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which means "end of summer," said Tim McMahon, associate history professor at Marquette University and American Conference on Irish Studies vice president.

One night in 1887 William James, the celebrated psychologist, and George Henschel, the English composer and conductor, arrived at a rundown house on Rutland Street in Boston. With them was singer Nettie Huxley, whose mischievous expression was at odds with the somber purpose of the visit–to communicate with the dead...

Candy corn and trick-or-treat candy are foods commonly associated with Halloween, but for this Food Friday, we talk to a food editor and recipe developer about looking to Harry Potter and seasonal fall foods for sweet and savory Halloween-themed cooking.

This pumpkin soup walks you through the basics of roasting and pureeing fresh pumpkin in a savory application. I incorporated warming spices often seen in pumpkin desserts, because they naturally complement the gourd's flavor, along with a dash of curry for a simple bowl of comfort. Get the recipe here.

There's a current craze for soups-turned-casseroles and casseroles-turned-soups. Basically, Americans want more comfort-food hybrids! This French onion stew receives a pot-pie twist with the addition of shredded chuck steak to amp up the heartiness, and it's served with gruyere pie crust crackers. Get the recipe here

Many people shy away from making homemade cake, because it seems so complicated. This ultralight and fluffy cake offers a straightforward explanation, and there's no fussiness in the decoration either. Icing a "naked cake" simply means plopping the entire batch of icing directly on the top of the cake layer...

If you've been to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, the Butterbeer served at the theme park is merely butterscotch soda with a foamy cap. As an avid fan of the book series, I wanted to develop a recipe that rang true to the vision I had imagined for so...

Aram Khachaturian was nervous. In the 1930s and ’40s he had made a name for himself as one of the Soviet Union’s foremost composers. He had long wanted to conduct, but in 1950, when he was invited to conduct a performance of some of his music, he hesitated. “At least...

From The Beatles to Bruno Mars, pop music is a genre that has encompassed different sounds, eras, and influences. We talk to a music critic and historian about his new book Love For Sale: Pop Music in America, and look at the evolution of a genre that both unifies and...

Author Sherry Turkle says it's OK to like texting rather than talking in person, but it's also important to have face-to-face conversations. Turkle gives tips on how to reclaim face-to-face conversations.

John Ireland wrote plenty of music before and after, but in the chronology of his works, the year 1928 was fallow, and with good reason. He was recovering from his marriage. For some time, one of Ireland’s more talented piano students was not up to her usual standard. Her name...

Public libraries have come under recent pressure to modernize and diversify their offering in an age where people can download books to their smart phones and get any question answered with a Google search.